Horizon Environmental Health
Serving Douglas & Pope Counties
809 Elm Street, Suite 1200
Alexandria, MN 56308
FAX: 320-762-3025
Kasey LaSota, Registered Sanitarian
Office: 320-762-2986 Cell: 320-808-7759
Doug Breitkreutz, Registered Sanitarian
Office: 320-763-4437 Cell: 320-808-4289
Minnesota Food Code Fact Sheet
Safe Food is Good Business
Temperature Requirements for
Potentially Hazardous Foods
Disease causing bacteria can multiply rapidly in
potentially hazardous foods if temperature controls are
not used or are inadequate. The following time and
temperature requirements must be met to ensure a safe
food product.
Microwave Cooking
●
Hot Holding Temperatures
Cold Holding Temperatures
Cold foods must be maintained at 41°F or less.
Frozen foods have no specific temperature requirement
other than to remain frozen. It is recommended that
frozen food be maintained at 0°F or less.
Cooking Temperatures
Eggs for immediate service, and except as otherwise
required, fish, meat, and commercially raised game
animals must be cooked to:
●
145°F or above for 15 seconds.
Chopped or ground meat, fish, and commercially raised
game animals; pork; injected meats; and eggs cooked for
hot holding must be cooked to:
●
●
●
155°F or above for 15 seconds, or
150°F or above for one minute, or
145°F or above for three minutes.
Poultry; stuffed food products; stuffing containing fish,
meat or poultry and wild game animals must be cooked
to:
●
165°F or above for 15 seconds.
Beef and corned beef roasts have specific temperature
requirements based on oven type and weight of the roast.
A separate handout “Cooking of Roasts” is available
which details these requirements.
Foods cooked in a microwave must be cooked to 165°F.
The product must be covered, and rotated or stirred
during the cooking process. After cooking, allow the
covered product to stand for two minutes prior to
serving.
If hot holding of a cooked product is necessary, the food
must be maintained at 140°F or above. The exceptions
are roasts, which must be held at 130°F or above.
Cooling of Foods
Foods must be cooled from 140°F to 70°F within two
hours, and from 70°F to 41°F within an additional four
hours. The goal is to cool foods as quickly as possible.
Reheating of Foods
Food that is reheated for hot holding must be reheated to
an internal temperature of at least 165°F for 15 seconds.
Reheating must be done rapidly and the minimum
temperature must be reached within two hours. Steam
tables, warmers, or similar equipment do not heat food
quickly enough and must not be used for reheating food.
To reheat food in a microwave, use the same method as
in microwave cooking.
For Further Information Contact:
Horizon Environmental Health
809 Elm Street, Suite 1200
Alexandria, MN 56308
320-762-2986 or 320-763-4437